Eight travelers are stranded at a run down desert motel where they must fight to stay alive in this otherworldly novel by John Fram.

Armed with an interesting plot device, The Midnight Knock, lays out a compelling story. The action takes place at the coyly named Brake Inn Motel, a seedy lodging place in the middle of nowhere that creates the perfect tableau for the action to take place. Parts of this book were so eerie, they gave me a grownup Christopher Pike type of vibe. With a cast of intriguing characters whose idiosyncrasies and attributes make them interesting and cause the reader to absolutely inhale the creepy story.

Beware the man in the gabardine suit and dig in for an action packed locked room thriller that will keep you guessing as you take in all its creepy energy. 3.75 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thanks to Atria Books for their adorably confident marketing team who hopes that “The Midnight Knock” is an Indie Next candidate. They convinced me that this seemed like a locked room thriller (eight strangers at a possibly haunted motel,in West Texas, where corpses appear and the weird twin managers won’t let anyone leave until the murder is solved). I’m definitely a fan of that genre, but this was something else. More horror than mystery, with rituals, mirrors that you can step through, fantasies bordering on religious fanaticism, and a cast of characters not worth caring about.

Add in the real life horror of evil territorial gangster bosses and kidnapped women/ children fleeing to/from the Mexican border in the unrelenting desert, aided and abetted by a Greek chorus of clones in gabardine suits. It was such an odd mess. I was lucky to get past the introduction of the first two characters, who inflict incredibly gory violence (trigger warning!) on innocent people. I eventually wished whatever supernatural being they thought or imagined was chasing them had disposed of them by Chapter 4. No such luck.

This wasn’t for me (yes, I wanted a well-written thriller) and I’m not sure who the audience for it will be, although the anticipatory reviews suggest there are John Fram fans. I do like horror done well, not meaningless violence disguised as horror. 2.5 stars.

The best way that I could describe this book is if Blake Crouch and Rod Serling met to write a book together after watching Bad Times at the El Royale. This was a book I went into with no expectations and finished it quickly. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this very entertaining ARC!

From the knock at midnight until the final sentence, new-to-me author John Fram captivated me with his clever plotting, plot twists, insightful deductions, slow-building tension and eerie setting.

He challenged me to unravel his complex mystery, uncover his hidden truth and showed me the danger of allowing trauma to endure. I was engrossed in a fascinating story, and felt wrapped up in pervading darkness, while experiencing the exasperating loss of control. Baffling mystery and creepy vibes abound.

Personally, I'd love more continuity, more character background, less horror, and less gore.

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Midnight Knock by John Fram is a chilling, atmospheric thriller that grips you from the first page. Blending true crime intensity with psychological suspense, Fram unravels a haunting story of small-town secrets and the terrifying ripple effects of one fateful night. The narrative is taut, emotional, and unflinchingly honest—balancing empathy with eerie detail. With elegant prose and escalating dread, Fram explores the ways trauma lingers, justice falters, and darkness seeps into even the most ordinary lives. A deeply unsettling and unforgettable read that lingers long after the final page. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The Midnight Knock got under my skin in the best way—it’s haunting, propulsive, and deeply atmospheric, with a sense of dread that builds like a storm you can feel coming but can’t escape. John Fram has a gift for blending true crime unease with intimate, emotional storytelling, and this one had me reading long past midnight.

From the moment the knock comes, you know something is wrong. But Fram doesn’t rush. He lets the fear simmer, letting the small-town secrets unravel with a slow, suffocating intensity. What hit me hardest wasn’t just the mystery—it was the emotional weight behind it. The characters feel fully lived-in, carrying histories that are messy, painful, and deeply human.

Fram plays with themes of justice, perception, and identity in a way that feels quietly radical. The story asks hard questions—about guilt, power, and what it means to be safe in a world that picks and chooses who gets to be believed. And the writing? Taut, lyrical, and sharp where it needs to be.

If you like your thrillers with heart, nuance, and a steady, creeping terror that doesn’t let up, The Midnight Knock is a must-read. It chilled me—and it made me think. That’s my favorite kind of horror.

Pretty solid honestly, I read it one sitting. Really great blend of western, horror, and thriller. Texas has always kinda spooked me because I immediately thinking of expansive desert with nothing for miles and miles and this novel really cemented that 🤩 it was atmospheric, and chilly, I almost felt like I was stranded in this creepy motel.

The beginning and the middle were easy to follow, and I enjoyed following Ethan, and the rest of the doomed souls as they tried to figure out what was keeping them in the hotel. The foreshadowing was also well placed, and after the big mystery was revealed little quirks from earlier made so much more sense.
However, the ending lost me, and it got a little too trippy, I think I figured it out in the end.
Overall, it was fun, and the short chapters made it a quick read.
Also, just a note, I’m not Indigenous or Native to America so I don’t know if they were appropriately represented.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

🚨📚 The Midnight Knock by John Fram
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2.5 rounded up)

Not my usual genre (I’m a romance girl through and through), but I wanted to try something different and wow, this was way more horror than I expected. 🩸 Like… really bloody. Definitely not for the faint of heart (AKA me 😅).

That said, the whodunnit mystery element? Solid. I was hooked in the beginning. I loved the intro with Hunter, Ethan, Kyla, and Fernanda on the road, and the whole setup at the motel was creepy and intriguing in the best way. Locked room vibes, lots of secrets, and that ticking clock tension? All yes. 🔒⏰

But once more characters popped up out of nowhere and things got weird weird, my interest started to fade. Some parts were SO well written and atmospheric, but others left me confused or disconnected.

Would I read another book by this author? Maybe, if it leaned more thriller and less nightmare fuel. 😅 Horror fans, though? Y’all might love this.

🖤 Thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing a copy of The Midnight Knock by John Fram. I loved how the book started with road stories of Hunter and Ethan and Kyla and Fernanda, and how they end up at the Motel. Then the other characters showed up without any background, and my interest started to wane. The rest of the book was odd, so it was hard to follow and understand. Every so often, there would be passages with the same great storytelling that the beginning had had, but for the most part, it was tough going. I might try another book by this author if the story sounded more straightforward. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This was my first John Fram book, so I didn’t have strong expectations going into “The Midnight Knock”. I was drawn to the idea of it being a thriller, suspense, and a “who dun it” story. What I was most surprised about was the amount of death and horror-esque pique. I think that my enjoyment of suspense, secrets, and racing against the clock. I didn’t personally love the death and violence that ensued through it, all that to say that its different than what I’ve previously read, yet I enjoy thoroughly trying new genres, titles, and authors.

The Midnight Knock is a great read if you are interested in the locked-room approach and mystery, to bring in both the past of the place and current challenges, and don’t mind death occurring as you read. The intertwining and discovering what is happening and who is at fault was challenging for me!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and John Fram for this ARC.

Feeling mixed about this one. I enjoyed the first section of the book very much. It was creepy, spooky, and had me on the edge of my seat. The 2nd and 3rd part kind of lost me. It started to feel a little long. I think this will 100% for many people.

That you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.
Having read No Way Home and really liking it, I was looking forward to reading The Midnight Knock. Unfortunately it was very different from what I expected and after reading about half of the story I decided it wasn't for me and skipped through to the end.
I'm not a fan of horror, but fans of the genre will most probably love it!

Such a great blend of western, thriller, and speculative fiction. It's menacing and gory and spooky, with really big ideas about humanity at its core.